DOHA: At least five people were injured, some seriously, when a Karwa bus rammed into waiting commuters at the Al Ghanim main bus station last evening — the third accident in the terminus in two years.
Two of the injured are said to be African nationals while one is Indian. The two others are Bangladeshis working as drivers in the state-owned transport company.
The mishap, eyewitnesses said, happened at around 5 pm. According to them, a bus bound for Al Khor ploughed into a group of commuters in the waiting area close to a cafeteria. The bus, sources said, was approaching the stand when the driver, of African nationality, lost control and rammed into the commuters.
Some of the injured were sitting on concrete barriers in front of the waiting area. The barriers were placed by the public transport company to protect waiting commuters in the wake of the last accident three months ago, which claimed four lives and injured two persons.
The bus station was busy, it being a Friday, but amazingly only a few people were injured because the bus was moving slowly, eyewitnesses said. The barriers were moved by the force of the impact.
Soon after the mishap, Al Fazaa and Civil Defence personnel, as well as an ambulance, came to the scene of the accident to take the injured to a hospital.
This was the third accident in the bus terminus in two years. On August 11, 2013, 13 people were injured, some seriously, when a public bus rammed into waiting passengers. A similar accident happened on December 12 last year, killing four people and injuring two.
THE PENINSUL
